Conoco Pleads "Financial Hardship" Idaho Supreme Court Grants Hearing

Let's say you make $50,000 annually. Then, let's say you want something really bad. Really, really bad. Bad enough that you're willing to go to court over it. Bad enough that even though the court says you can't have it, you're willing to go to Idaho Supreme Court. And you want an answer, now. You don't want to have to wait your turn behind every other Idahoan who has been waiting for the better part of a year to have his or her grievance heard. And let's say the no. 1 reason for your case to be expedited is financial hardship. And when the court asks you how much of a financial hardship, you take a deep breath and say: $2.30.

And there you have the logic behind ConocoPhillips' request to have its appeal heard before the Idaho Supreme Court on an accelerated schedule. Citydesk has been closely following the debate surrounding the proposed shipments of oil refinery equipment across U.S. Highway 12.

Three Central Idaho entrepreneurs lawyered up to fight the big boys--Conoco and the Idaho Transportation Department. Collective jaws dropped when they won.

Conoco immediately filed an appeal with the State Supreme Court, citing financial hardship: $9 million. That's serious money, until you consider that ConocoPhillips' estimated annual revenues for 2010 will be $194 billion. Conoco's hardship basically translates to about .000046 of this year's earnings.

But, this week Idaho's high court granted the request. You can take a pretty good guess as where Citydesk will be on October 1, when Conoco, ITD and environmentalists have at in a State Supreme Court hearing room.

Clang, Clang, Clang

Another controversy on wheels has been the melodrama surrounding Boise Trolley Tours. Owner Debra Miller hasn't been one of the City of Boise's favorite vendors since she began tours two years ago. City officials say they received a good many complaints against Miller, including inappropriate behavior and foul language in the presence of children, the elderly, park employees and just about everybody else in ear shot.

She was slapped with a couple of warning letters. Finally, on Aug. 27, Miller was told to shut it down, citing her "failure to follow the Code of Conduct in her lease." Miller was warned that if she tried to operate Boise Trolley Tours, she would be cited for violating city code and her property could be seized. Read more at boiseweekly.com.